Aging question

Maddie turned 10 in April. She has had health problems, allergies and skin infections and the like, (and her eye injury) but recently (past couple of years at least) she has been very very healthy.

She had a thorough vet visit and blood tests about 3 mos ago. She's not due until Jan, I believe... Clean bill of health, last round of limited vaccinations, good weight, really good teeth, parasite free, etc

Some things I've noticed recently; She had lost some weight, but when I asked the vet he said that she was within good weight, he'd rather see her like this than overweight, she shows now signs of arthritis and that's GOOD Her activity level is still pretty high and Bailey keeps her running around a lot, he joked and said it was for holistic reasons (lol Bailey is good for both of us). I asked him if I should feed her more and he said not to worry about it. I get lots of flak about it here because you can see her spine (my mom calls it "old dog sway" )
But since then she has lost more, so I have been feeding her more. Unlike most senior dogs I've dealt with, it seems that her metabolism has somehow sped up, I am now feeding her twice the amount I am feeding Bailey (they were almost the exact same like last year), plus more snacks and I'm not sure if I should be concerned about that or not.

She is really active... and her hearing is starting to go. She has to be leashed a lot more than she used to because she either can't hear me or is ingoring me she ran off twice since I moved, and now has no offleash privileges unless she's in a fence. I just can't risk it. So instead of offleash running she runs with me (I know I run slow for her) and if the weathers nice biking. We walk everyday unless its a hurricane out there
She's always hungry - but that's nothing new there LOL. What IS new is trying to get into the garbage more, and her trying to countersurf and push herself right into my lap while I am eating So it is back to puppy preschool here

When she sleeps... it is like a dead ferret sleep. I think that's because of her hearing going. But, for example, I can come home and be home 10mins before she wakes up and realizes I'm home... meanwhile Bailey is barking her full on head off like the idiot she is lol and springing off of me like I'm the pogo-stick and the jokes on me.

Anyway. This is getting kind of long, I guess I just wanted to get it all out and ask if anyone thought I should take her in earlier, just in case. Or someone tell me to relax I am always hyperaware of any possible problems, and my bank account knows that lol

Buzz had some super vague symptoms (except his was weight gain) and ended up being hypothyroid. I'd call you vet to see if any of the symptoms you're seeing could be something diagnosable?

Hugs for you and Maddie. Watching them get old is hard!

Shamoo is getting senile, she seems confused at moments and I'm worried. :-/

She hasn't however been losing weight, I may check with vet if she was.

I have been in complete complete denial that she is aging at all. I can call her "old lady" but no one else can lol. She put the weight back on right away when I increased food, and she's kept it on. I guess I'll call the vet Monday morning and see what they say. Ugghh
Thanks guys... it feels better to know I am not alone. This dog is my life, my heart dog, and I will just die if anything happens to her

Shamoo is my beginning and end, I totally understand.

Is she seemingly a good weight except for the spine? Roseys a great weight, thinner than I'd like, and her spine sticks out like crazy - turned out to be due to arthritis.

Rosey does the dead sleep, always thought it was going deaf.. Nope, she just doesn't give a **** anymore

I couldn't think of anyway to explain it besides dead ferret sleep lol. And yes, I poke her to make sure she's still alive just like I did the ferrets
She is now, she lost a little so I increased the food, but she is at a good weight now. They're both on Orijen.

The vet had said thinners better for arthritis and I agree and I'll take his advice... but it makes me nervous I'd like to have a little more weight on her because its like if something happens she has no reserves lol. She could look emaciated so quickly if she stopped eating for whatever reason

Peewee sleeps like that now. And yes, add me to the list who pokes their dog. The weight loss might be explained by her running with you instead of off leash running/playing. I would definatly keep an eye on it though.

Weight loss without food reduction can be a sign of MANY things common in older dogs, from kidney and liver failure to just loss of muscle mass. I would want to run full bloodwork if my older dog was losing weight.

I would check it out if she's losing weight and eating more. One thing that's a symptom of is Cushings Disease, which I recently lost a dog to. Your dog doesn't sound to have the other symptoms, so it's more likely something else. (though they can have one or 2 of the symptoms for awhile before showing the others). But yeah, bloodwork to be sure.

Just keep an eye on Maggie. I take my dog to the vet for regular check-ups.

I totally hear you. And after what happened to Bounce you better believe if anyone sleeps soundly here there will be poking!

I would take her to the vet if you are getting that vague worried feeling. You don't see (from what I have read on here) an OMG tiny issue must get to vet, ever time sort of person. I know if it was Dekka I would want the piece of mind.

I would get blood work run. Trey was always thinner but when he got to be around 10 or 11 he started losing weight. It took a long time and other symptoms to figure out that he had Cushings. We really had a hell of a time putting any weight on him as an older dog.

I hate that they have to get older and I'm dreading the day Summer starts showing her age.

I thought I was the only one who poked her dog to see if he was alive, though it makes me kinda sad that I have to do it I thought mine was showing signs of deafness, but nope... He just doesn't care, he has selective hearing

Decision of least regret- are you going to regret taking her in early to have bloodwork run and find out that it's totally normal? Or are you going to regret waiting and possibly not catching something that's going on until later?

This whole thing with Luce getting older is making me crazy, so I understand where you're coming from!

My Poochi has turned 15. She has lost a bit of weight and her haire has thinned. Her hearing though is as sensitive as ever.

Because I work at a clinic, Buddy, who is almost 13, has has every test available run. Not needlessly, she has had a fair share of issues this year. She has full bloodwork done every 6 months. She has had multiple X-rays done this year (she tore her other CCL in the spring), and after a bout of HGE/pancreatitis, she had an abdominal ultrasound. Everything checked out clear!

But like you said OP, her life now revolves around eating. She is food obsessed! And she is thin, sway-backed and her spine shows. I take this as a sign that we are controlling her hypothyroid well and that it's helping her torn ligaments, her bicep tendonitis, and her arthritis.

She is my everything. She may be the only "pitbull" I ever own and because of this, I cherish her so much more. She's on a very high pedestal.

If you're worried, there's no harm in doing bloodwork a little earlier.

((((((HUGS))))))) Bimmer's thirteen

(((((((hugs back))))))

For those of you not on my facebook - Maddie's blood-work came back totally normal, and the vet reassured me that she is in grea shape (lol safe than sorry)